Richard Farrell Explores Hereditary Hair Loss

Award-winning Hair Replacement innovator Richard Farrell is the most sought after expert in the international non-surgical hair replacement arena. His artistic techniques have been featured on TV talk shows and Hollywood movie sets.

The most common form of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, which can affect both men and women. Women are usually affected less than men, which is why this condition is commonly referred to as Male Pattern Baldness. The condition is so common that it can almost be regarded as a part of the normal aging process. Although androgenetic alopecia is hereditary, contrary to popular belief, it is not passed down through only the mother’s side of the family. Either side of the family can pass down the genetic disposition toward baldness. Learn more: http://www.farrellhair.com/Men-Hair-Loss.aspx.

Symptoms Of Hereditary Hair Loss
The pattern of hair loss and baldness are different for men and women. On men, the most notable symptom of the onset of male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) is hair loss along the hairline that gradually recedes into an “M” shape. The hair at the crown begins to thin, eventually meeting the receding hairline and creating a horseshoe pattern of hair around the sides of the head. Male pattern baldness is typically diagnosed by the appearance of this pattern. Other diseases such as alopecia areata or folliculitis may cause dissimilar balding patterns and should not be diagnosed as male pattern baldness.

On women all the hair on the head begins thinning, and then gradually progress over the whole head for many years. Women seldom get completely bald areas on their head, but the hair often gets so thin that the scalp is clearly visible through the hair.

Causes Of Androgenetic Alopecia
The skin has three layers: The outer layer, called epidermis, consists of epithelial cells. Under this lies the dermis consisting of connective tissue. At the bottom there is a layer called the hypodermis consisting mostly of fat cells.

The skin has narrow pores, hair follicles, extending from the surface down to the top of the sub-dermis, called hair follicles. A hair extends from a growth zone in the bottom of each hair follicle and out at the skin surface. In common forms of hair loss, a substance in the body, dihydroxy-testosterone (DHT), gives a signal to the cells in the hair follicles that causes these cells to divide less than normal, slowing or stopping the production of hair. Learn more: http://www.farrellhair.com/Men-Hair-Loss.aspx.

DHT is a metabolic product of testosterone, the male sex hormone. Women also have testosterone and DHT in their bodies, therefore hair loss can also affect them. Only cells that are susceptible to the influence from DHT will slow their growth process. This susceptibility is inherited from the parents by some individuals. Follicle cells in the lower parts of the head are usually resistant to the influence of DHT, which is why these areas seldom become bald.